1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connecting structure of an electrical component to an electrical junction box for connecting the electrical component to a bus bar of the electrical junction box to form a circuit.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a proposed connecting structure of an electrical component to an electrical junction box as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. The connecting structure has a plurality of long terminals 3 projecting from an electrical component 1, and a flat-plate like bus bar 7 provided in an electrical junction box 5 to which the electrical component 1 is connected. The electrical component 1 used in this connecting structure 23 comprises a relay or the like. As shown in FIGS. 1, 2A and 2B, the plurality of long terminals 3 are outwardly extended from the circuit provided inside.
The electrical junction box 5 has a case 13 including a case 13 having a connecting portion 11 to which the electrical component 1 is to be connected, and a bus bar 7 accommodated in the case 13. A connecting portion 11 formed in the case 13 accommodates a plurality of junction terminals 15, and when the electrical component 1 is connected to the connecting portion 11, the plurality of terminals 3 are introduced into the connecting portion 11.
The bus bar 7 is formed by stamping a conductive metal plate into a predetermined shape. The bus bar 7 is sandwiched between insulating plates 17 and 19 so that opposite sides of the bus bar 7 insulated. A plurality of tabs 21 project from predetermined positions of the bus bar 7 in accordance with a circuit design, and each tab 21 passes through the insulating plate 17. The tabs 21 are disposed in the connecting portion 11 of the electrical junction box 5, and are connected to one side of the junction terminals 15 in its longitudinal direction.
In the case of the above-described connecting structure 23, as shown in FIG. 1, when the electrical component 1 and the electrical junction box 5 are connected to each other, the electrical component 1 is connected to the connecting portion 11 of the electrical junction box 5. At that time, in the electrical component 1 as shown in FIG. 3, the plurality of terminals 3 are introduced into the connecting portion 11 (not shown), the plurality of terminals 3 are respectively connected to the other ends of the plurality of junction terminals 15 accommodated in the connecting portion 11 in the longitudinal direction. As a result, in this connecting structure 23, the terminals 3 of the electrical component 1 and the bus bar 7 of the electrical junction box 5 are brought into conduction with each other through the junction terminals 15.
However, according to the proposed connecting structure 23 of the electrical component to the electrical junction box, when the electrical component 1 is connected to the electrical junction box 5, the terminals 3 of the electrical component 1 and the tabs 21 of the bus bar 7 of the electrical junction box 5 are connected to each other through the junction terminals 15. Therefore, the number of parts of the connecting structure 23 is increased, and the producing cost thereof is also increased.
Further, in the connecting structure 23, since the junction terminals 15 is accommodated in the connecting portion 11 of the electrical junction box 5 to which the electrical component 1 is to be connected, the electrical junction box 5 must be increased in size by the size of the connecting portion 11 and the junction terminals 15, and the connecting structure 23 is increased in size and weight as a whole.
Further, when the bus bar 7 is formed, the tabs 21 are formed by stamping developed tabs 21 together with the bus bar 7 and then, the tabs 21 are projected from the bus bar 7. Therefore, the bus bar 7 is formed by stamping the metal plate such that the tabs 21 are avoided.
Thus, in the connecting structure 23, the yield of the bus bar 7 is deteriorated, and the producing cost is increased.
Thereupon, it is an object of the present invention to provide a connecting structure of an electrical component to an electrical junction box, capable of reducing the producing cost and reducing both size and weight.
To achieve the above object, a first aspect of the present invention provides a connecting structure of an electrical component to an electrical junction box, comprising a plurality of long terminals provided on the electrical component, a flat plate-like bus bar which is provided in the electrical junction box to which the electrical component is to be connected, the bus bar being brought into conduction with the terminals in a state in which the electrical component is connected to the electrical junction box, a plurality of contact portions formed by bending tip ends of the plurality of terminals toward an outer periphery of the electrical component, the contact portions being formed on front ends of the terminals in a connecting direction of the electrical component to the electrical junction box, the contact portions being contacted with the bus bar in the state in which the electrical component is connected to the electrical junction box, and holding means for holding a contacted state between the plurality of contact portions and the bus bar.
According to this first aspect, when the electrical component is connected to the electrical junction box, the contact portions of the plurality of terminals are brought into contact with the bus bar, and the contacted state between the contact portions and the bus bar is held by the holding means.
According to a second aspect of the invention, in the connecting structure of an electrical component to an electrical junction box of the first aspect, the holding means tightly connecting the contacted portions between the contact portions and the bus bar in the state in which the electrical component is connected to the electrical junction box.
With the second aspect, in the state in which the electrical component is connected to the electrical junction box, the contacted portions of the end surfaces of the contact portions of the plurality of terminals and the outer surface of the bus bar is tightly connected by the holding means. Therefore, the bus bar and the plurality of terminals can be secured reliably.
A third or fourth aspect of the invention, in the connecting structure of an electrical component to an electrical junction box of the first or second aspect, the plurality of contact portions are formed by bending the terminals in a direction intersecting a projecting direction of the electrical component toward the electrical junction box, end surfaces formed on front ends of the terminals in the projecting direction are brought into contact with the outer surface of the bus bar in the state in which the electrical component is connected to the electrical junction box.
With the third or fourth aspect, the contact portions of the terminals formed in the direction intersecting the projecting direction from the electrical component bring the end surfaces formed on the front ends of the terminals into contact with the outer surface of the bus bar in the state in which the electrical component is connected to the electrical junction box.